Count Me Among Thy Saints
by Arynsn2music
Summary: When Delphi, a sheltered college student from Oklahoma, moves to Boston, she does not expect to be shoved into the world of The Saints.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: My first fanfiction! Enjoy :3**

**Count Me Among Thy Saints**

No sooner had she started to pull the zipper around the large frame of the suitcase, the small piece of metal hit a snag. Sighing, she started to tug the zipper a little harder. Victory. After double-checking the contents of her carry on bag, Delphi Vincent took one more look around the small bedroom. Once filled with pictures, clothing, and other signs of life, her childhood room now felt unknown. Sure, she'd be back again in a couple of months for Christmas break, and again for summer, but it would not be the same. She felt like a guest already. With her suitcase and carry-on in one hand, Delphi walked out of her old haven and headed downstairs to the Vincent family kitchen.

After hopping down the last few steps, she lugged her stuff into the laundry room. Checking the dryer one last time to make sure she had not forgotten a shirt or two, Delphi quietly walked into the noisy kitchen. As she glanced around the room, committing every little detail to memory, her eyes narrowed in on the kitchen island where sat a small package that was wrapped in a shiny green paper. The tag read, _To Delphi. _She knew that small, wispy hand righting that had addressed numerous cards in 20 years. Hesitantly she picked up the small but heavy box.

"I see that shiny paper has done its job" Smiled a timid woman in her early forties.

"Is this for me? I was only looking." Delphi asked, her eyes never leaving the present.

"Your father and I wanted to get something special that you could easily take with you wherever you go" Caroline Vincent answered. "Now you don't have an excuse to not keep us updated on your crazy adventures."

With one swift motion, half the box was exposed. Delphi's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was holding in her small hands. "Are you guys serious!" "How'd you know?" "Rhys told you, didn't he?" She opened the box as fast as she could. Wrapped up perfectly in a small bubble wrap bag was the camcorder that she had been eyeing all summer. The small device fit perfectly in her palm. She flicked the tiny switch to turn it on. A full battery sign blinked upon the screen. She turned the camcorder around in her hand to face her. She pushed the "Record" button.

"Today is January 4th 1998. It's about 8 in the morning and in a few short hours, I'm going to be on a plane!" Delphi turned the camcorder back around, this time focusing on her mother. "Introducing Professor of Classical Greek, wife, and mother extraordinaire, Caroline Vincent." "Say Hi, mom."

Caroline softly lifted her hand in a small wave. "Hello Delphi" Not the one to be put on the spot, unless in a classroom surrounded by young faces, she gently let her hand fall back down by her side.

"So tell us mom, how do you feel about your one and only daughter venturing off on her own?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm nervous like any other mother would be. I have a feeling your father is more worried than I am though." She said with a small laugh.

At that exact moment, William Vincent walked into the kitchen where the two women we talking. "I'm guessing somebody likes their new toy?"

Delphi then turned the camera towards her father. "Are you worried about me leaving, dad?"

"Not so much worried as I am excited. I know you've got a good head on those shoulders."

She was not expecting an answer like that. To keep the tears that were starting to build up from escaping, she blinked her eyes a couple of times. Not wanting her first video to get to emotional, Delphi switched the camera off. "I'm hungry."

While climbing into the car, she glanced one more time at the home where she had grown up. _This is the right thing. I've got to do this. No turning back now._

After breakfast at her favorite local diner, Delphi once again climbed into the car. An hour car ride to the airport was the only thing that stood in between the natural feeling of security and the slowly anticipated feeling of freedom. The drive seemed to take twice as long as it usually did. At first it was all just countryside. A pasture of cows, a farmhouse or two, but soon the snowy grass was traded in for cement and streets. They were now entering the city. Delphi put her face up to the window. As she watched the familiar buildings go by, she wondered if the next time she saw the city, would everything be green and alive? At last, she saw the sign. "Will Roger's World Airport next right".

When the car finally pulled into a parking spot, she grabbed her purse and jumped out. "Dad, hurry! I don't want to be late!" She had 30 minuets until her flight was scheduled to leave. After her father sat her suitcase on the cement and shut the trunk, Delphi grabbed it and started making her way to the front doors. With it being early January, the airport was packed with families arriving back from holiday vacation. When she looked down the long hall, she noticed a neon sign that read **Coffee. **It was just what she needed right now to calm her nerves. "Do you guys mind if we stop at that café down there?" she pointed to the sign. Her parents simply nodded. After ordering her coffee, Delphi remembered one crucial part of flying: the ticket. She sat the coffee on the counter and started to rummage through her purse. _Ah, here it is_. After walking a bit, they finally arrived at gate 6. A female voice started to talk over the intercom. "Flight 829 to Boston is now boarding. Departure at 11:25am." Delphi turned to her parents.

"Well, this is it", she shrugged. Saying good byes were never a talent of hers. Her mother pulled her into a hug. " Oh Delphi, this is exciting. Don't look so sullen." Caroline kissed her daughter on the head. Her father joined in, "Your mothers right sweetheart, not everybody gets an opportunity like this." This was what she had been waiting for her entire life. The butterflies in her stomach turned from dread to anticipation. She turned to hug her father one last time. Gathering her bags, Delphi looked at her parents. "I guess I'll see you guys in May. Don't have too much fun without me." William and Caroline smiled at their daughter. "We love you Delphi. Don't forget to call us when you get there!" her mother shouted after her. Before she handed her ticket to the stewardess, Delphi turned around and hollered at her parents, "Don't forget to tell Rhys to stay out of my room!" After she watched them nod and wave, she turned back around and held out her ticket.

_Seat 32. Seat 32. Knowing my luck, I'm going to be sandwiched in between two people who will want to talk the entire time. _When she finally reached her seat, she was relieved to see that a: It was a window seat and b: the other two seats beside her were empty. _Score_. She was just sitting down when a flight attendant around her age walked up to her. "Ma'am, were getting ready to take off, if you wouldn't mind putting your seatbelt on." Delphi nodded her head and clicked the two metal parts together. Closing her eyes, she started to think about the new life she was making for herself. The plane started to shake. She could feel it starting to make its way down the runway. With a jolt, they were in the air. _Here we go. New year, new life. I wonder who my roommate is going to be? Will I make any new friends? I hope I don't get lost. _A smile crept upon her face. _I wonder if I'll meet a nice boy? With it being South Boston, there's no telling who I'll run into. Who knows? With that neighborhood and all, I just might run into a nice Irish boy. Hmmm, maybe only in my dreams. _The smile still lingered as she slowly drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Delphi, seriously, stop smothering me. I need my space. Why can't you find your own friends here? There are 30,000 people here. I'm sure you could find a friend or two. Just leave me alone for right now, okay?_

Grey eyes shot open. Delphi sat up as fast as she could. _Not this again. I thought I was over it? _She looked around. Everybody else on the plane had found some sort of entertainment. Delphi sighed. _What time is it? _She reached down into her bag. A sudden spurt of excitement shot across her face. _Ah! I totally forgot all about this! _A Christmas present she had forgotten all about. The new book she had wanted just for this reason. She read the back of the book again and then flipped through it. _Do I want to start a new book? I do have two hours until the plane is supposed to land. _She decided that that was enough time to get through a couple of chapters. A few hours later, the plane started to shake. This knocked Delphi out of her trance. _Oh, it's just a little turbulence. _She looked back down at the text and read another chapter or two.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we should be arriving in 10 minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts and thank you for flying American Airlines." A surge of excitement jolted through Delphi. _This is it! I'm finally starting my new life. _Around 30 minuets later, she was finally walking off the plane. _Welcome to Boston, Delphi Vincent_. It took several minutes at the baggage claim for her suitcase to arrive. _Shit, I have no idea how cabs work or any idea where I'm going! This is just great. _She took out a piece of paper from her bag and examined it. _Bay State Road_. This is where her new dorm was. Delphi grabbed her stuff and started to make her way outside.

Right when she stepped outside, she stopped. _Oh my God. _Everywhere around her were people. Everywhere! She had never seen anything like this in her life. She's been to the city back home before, but this, this was what a city was supposed to be. Finally in 20 years, she felt that she belonged. Snapping out of her epiphany, Delphi watched a couple of people by the curb. _Lesson 1: How to hail a cab. It cannot be that hard._ She walked down the sidewalk a little ways to get out of the way. After glancing around, she spotted a little old man leaning against the passenger side of a cab. She made her way over to the car. "Excuse me, can I have a ride?" The old man raised an eyebrow. In a thick Italian accent, "You're not from around here I take it?" Delphi smiled, "You can tell that easy, huh?" The old man simply smiled and replied, "It'll set ya apart dear, don't you go getting worried about it." After he helped her get the suitcase into the trunk, the old man asked, "Where ya headin?" "Ummm, Bay State Road I think? I'm looking for The Towers. It's a dorm for Boston University." "Yep, I know what ya talking about. Buckle up, miss and I'll get ya there."

Delphi could not sit still the entire car ride. Everything was so full of life, even in January. Back home, once the weather got cold, the streets of the town were empty. Finally the car stopped. The old man turned around to face her. "Bay State Road, dear." Delphi glanced at the price on the screen. She dug in her purse and pulled out a wallet. "Here is 7 dollars and I have the 42 cents." She placed the coins into the man's hand. "Thank you for the ride." she said. "Not a problem, dear. Hope the city treats ya well." She nodded thanks and opened the car door. The air outside was crisp and smelt like salt. She looked up at the tall buildings that lined the street. _There is the school of management. The Towers is supposed to be across the street from this._ When she turned around, there it was. Her new home for the next year.

She walked into the building and stopped at the front desk. A girl her age was behind the desk, putting some papers into an envelope. She looked up at Delphi. "Hello, can I help you with something?" Delphi set her admission and housing papers on the desk. "Hi, I'm a transfer student. I have my housing papers here." She handed them to the girl. "Delphi Vincent, welcome to Boston University." The young girl opened a box and pulled out a key. "This is the key to your room. If you want to set your stuff right here, I need to take your picture to make your ID card." After the card was made, Delphi grabbed the key and her suitcase and stated to make her way to the elevators. _I'm on the 4__th__ floor. In room 13. I wonder if my roommate is here yet? _She hopped inside the elevator and pushed the button with a 4 on it. When the doors opened, she walked out. The walls were painted a light blue. As she walked down the hall, a number of doors were opened. Glancing inside each one as she passed, they were filled with personal belongings. She started to pass room 11 and knew that she had made it. _Here it is, room 13. _The put the key into the keyhole and turned the knob. _It's empty. There's a bed, a desk, and a dresser. That's all? _The walls were bare. No sign of life at all. A feeling of homesickness washed over Delphi as she sat her purse on an empty bed. She looked out the window and sighed. It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon. She had enough time to wander around to find some stuff to make this new room a home. She locked the door and headed downstairs. The young girl at the desk smiled at her as she passed the front desk. Delphi opened the glass doors and walked out, hoping for the start of a new adventure.


	3. Chapter 3

As Delphi walked out of the third shop, all she had to show for her trip was a framed spider and a pair of Doc Martins that she had found in a thrift shop. _Hmmm. Better than nothing, I suppose. I wonder if there are any places around here that I could get a drink?_ She walked to the corner of the small street and looked around. _Store. Store. Apartments. That just looks plain creepy. Oh, what's that place? _Walking down the street a little farther, she stopped outside a small bar. _I wonder if they will let me in since I'm underage. It looks like a normal pub. Might as well see?___

She opened the heavy wooden door and walked in. Right away, Delphi felt comfortable. She glanced around, not knowing whether to seat herself or wait. The whole atmosphere of the pub felt right. The main focus point was the giant, dark, wooden bad. The floors, walls, and tables were made out of the same dark wood. Small lights hung above each table. An old man walked out from behind the bar. "P-p-pick any seat y-y-ya like, l-lass." Delphi nodded walked over to a small table in the corner. She sat down and plucked the tiny menu from its holder. _What sounds good? I'm not that hungry, but I still feel like eating something. Maybe I should get a desert? _When the old man hobbled over to her table, she looked up at him and smiled. "W-w-what can I g-g-g-get for yeh?"

"I think I want a water and a slice of the Bailey's Irish Cream cheesecake." Delphi slowly asked.

"C-c-c-comin right up." The old man walked away and headed for the kitchen. Delphi looked around the small pub. It was empty except for the occasional person or two at the bar. She opened her bag and pulled out the spider she bought. She still couldn't believe that she had gotten such a good deal on this. The shop owner seemed to be glad that the thing had finally found a home. She looked up to see the old man making his way towards her with the order. After he sat the small plate and glass on the table, he held out his hand towards her. "H-h-h-haven't seen your f-f-face around these parts b-b-before. They c-call me Doc."

"Hello, Doc. My name is Delphi. It's nice to meet you. I just moved here for school."

"J-j-just arrived you s-s-say?" Doc paused for a few seconds. Then he continued, "And you w-w-wandered into m-m-my shop yer first day." He then grinned. "I t-think this calls f-f-fer a drink. What'll l-like?"

Delphi blushed and then looked down, "I'm not 21 yet. I still have a couple months to go. I didn't know if this was a place for all ages or not. I'm sorry."

Doc reached out and patted her hand. "There's n-n-no need to apolig-g-gize, you can come h-here any time ya like."

Delphi nodded and took a bite of her cheesecake. The perfect hint of Irish cream mixed in with the delicious, cool cream cheese took her by surprise. It was one of the most scrumptious things she had ever eaten. "What is your secret? This is amazing!"

Doc smiled, "An Irish secret of….Fuck…Ass!" Delphi's eyes widened. _Did he just say what I think he did? _She glanced around the bar. _Nobody else seems fazed by this. It's probably Tourettes. _

"S-s-sorry bout that. It's m-m-my tic." Delphi smiled. She was beginning to really enjoy this old man. She was about to ask him about life when the door to the bar swung open.

"Doc, pour us a shot. It's been a long day", a man with an accent that she could place oh so easily, shouted. Behind him, a man with the same features shut the door.

"O-over here boys. Just t-t-talking to my new f-friend here. She j-j-just arrived in town t-t-today."

The one with the lighter hair spoke up, "Yer don't say? Yer got good taste" He held his hands out, motioning to the bar.

Doc got up out of his seat and hobbled over to the bar. The two young men followed him. Delphi, once again, took a bite of the dessert. That feeling that felt like someone was staring at you slowly crept across her neck. She quickly looked up at the bar. Doc and the two guys were talking about something or rather. Like a creeper, Delphi focused on what the three friends were talking about. The only words she could pick out were "Russians", "Bar", and "Mob". _Great, I can only assume they're talking about the Russian mob. This seems to be the wrong neighborhood though. _

After she finished her cake, Delphi looked at the clock on her phone. _It's 7:30 already? I don't have anything to do tomorrow, but do I really want to be out late in a big city? _She chuckled out loud at the situation. She gathered her plate and cup and walked slowly over to the bar where the men were still conversing. She waited to few second to see if they would notice her.

"Umm, excuse me. Here are these." She motioned to the dishes. Doc smiled and reached for them, "Ya didn't have t-ta bring 'em over here."

"Well, I was going to ask how to get back to Bay State Road. I kinda wandered a little to far." Delphi softly said, her hand reaching up into her auburn hair in embarrassment.

Doc set the dishes on the counter and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tis not s-s-safe fer a girl y-y-yer age to be w-w-wwanderin 'round the c-c-city 'lone." Delphi nodded her head in agreement. She softly spoke again, "That's why I need some help."

"Connor, Murphy, h-h-hows ya help a y-y-young lady home?" Doc asked. "These two know t-t-the city like the b-b-back of their hands. No one I-i-I'd trust more." He smiled at the two boys.

Delphi bit her lip. "If you guys don't mind. I hate to impose."

"Nonsense. Don't yer worry bout it." The one named Connor said. "Yeah, who could refuse a pretty lady like yourself?" the dark haired Murphy smiled at her. Delphi felt a blush creeping up on her pale cheeks. She thanked Doc, paid for her snack and grabbed her purse and shopping bag. Murphy held the door open and Connor ushered her out the door. "We'll be back later, Doc. Don't have to much fun without us", Connor shouted. Doc watched as Murphy winked at him and let the heavy wooden door go, shutting out the cool, crisp, winter night.


End file.
